Hobbies and Crafts

We have had some more bird action.

As well as the usual magpies, Pigeons and a Doves we have a pair of Blackbirds who have been very busy.

Lots of Sparrows and Blue Tits and a Thrush.

Mrs Blackbird was busy turning over leaves under the tree, she then started poking about in the big pot I had Busy Lizzie's in, she then spotted herself in the garden mirror and flew at it pipping. After that she was obviously feeling rather embarrassed so took it out on the Thrush.

M.

I too have noticed more Blackbird action ,with Mrs poking around on the lawn .Mr ,is as usual making a pig of himself from the window feeder.I think I may have another Mr on there too.It looks slightly smaller than my regular.Has spring sprung? are they getting a little bit jiggy??I think those wood pidgeons might have. :-S

A bit more like it now. we have just had a female black cap in the garden and also today goldfinch and chaffinch plus I could see three blackbirds from our window although they were on neighbouring fences/roofs etc. OH also saw a wren this morning on the lawn.

We had a little flurry of visitors a short while ago but nothing very exotic - a couple of blackbirds, both male, two collared doves and a whole flock of starlings. They have all disappeared again now.

Up late this morning as coughing a lot in the night but so far only seen a blackbird, a blue tit and a flash that Ithink was a sparrow passing through :-) :-)

Ann I hope your cough doesn't develop into anything worse before you have to go to the funeral.
I think i have worked out why we are seeing the rat so often under the window feeder.The Squirrel is the culprit as it makes so much mess,by turfing food out onto the ground and shredding the sunflower seeds.My windowsill gets covered in shredded bits and the window also covered in streaky feet marks :-S :-S :-S.It is a right mucky eater :-S..No table manners at all !

Fingers crossed that your cough will get better soon Ann before your sad funeral day for Jon.

Most of you know that I loathe MICE with a vengeance!
So I have been regularly using peppermint oil and must have the sweetest smelling garage in the village. I also have scattered mothballs and cayenne pepper, also bought a new electric mouse repeller this year. Trying anything to keep them away.

I also have been putting a dish of milk daily outside the side door of the garage hoping to encourage any neighbourhood cats who are then meant to deter any mice BUT today as I was going to the dustbin I saw lots of white feathers at the bottom of the garden and fear that one of the cats has had more than a dishful of milk.....!!!
Nature can be very cruel.

Jane, I am deliberately ignoring your r*t postings...... rather you than me. I cringe just reading about them.

I hope your cough is much better Ann...thinking of you and your family <3

If anyone is interested you can now sign up to the 2015 Big Garden Birdwatch.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

Lesley x

Thanks for that Lesley ..I always intend to do Birdwatch but never seem to be in at the right times.Fingers crossed this time :-D

Thanks for the link Lesley. Hope that Millie kept you all amused this Christmas.

Ann.... thinking of you and your daughter and family right now at a difficult time. xx

Not much activity here at all, perhaps the birds are all in Jane's garden?

Lots of blue tits here plus a nuthatch, blackbird, robin all on the feeders. Boys gone back to Hampshire today with their families we go home tomorrow I think. One Grandson has a week's leave left so will be on hand for daughter.

Another flood in the bedroom we are in last night as the wind is obviously blowing the heavy rain in somewhere. Hopefully Jim the builder will be out to check next week. Meanwhile OH is busy with the vax we brought with us soaking up the water from the carpet. A bit like trying to stop the Severn Bore."""

Hope that the builder will sort out the flood in bedroom Ann. Your daughter has more than enough to cope with right now. Have a safe journey back home and I hope that the strong gusty winds won't cause too many problems for you today.

Hubby and I have been amused by a tiny Robin who has appeared several times to eat seed that's at the bottom of the window feeder. It is so lovely to see the Robin and is such a change from the hoards of aggressive greedy Starlings we usually get here.

The weather is awful here in Somerset as well Ann.

The shops in the Main Street all have sandbags outside.

Every so often our wheely bin blows over with a huge crash, we have tried it in several positions and the wind seems to get it wherever it is.

One of the window boxes blew off a top window sill and landed right way up complete with all it's plants on the drive, it missed the car by about six inches, the fasteners had broken, will leave it a bit before we try fixing it back up. It's far too wet and windy at the moment.

The sea is very rough and yesterday, when it wasn't actually raining the wind was whipping the sand up across the promenade.

When we went through the lower part of the Levels last Friday there was flooding along the roadside, let's just hope to goodness that the work they did further up stops a repeat of last years severe flooding.

At the moment there are two huge Herring Gulls making a row on the roof opposite and a little Wagtail, which looks like it is on wheels, pottering about in the drive. He doesn't seem to mind the weather.

Have a safe trip back. Have been thinking of you.

M.

It was a bit gusty travelling down the M6 but not too bad the further south we got. We got home in good time, traffic all flowing well, no holdups. All unpacked and put away and a load of washing done.

Just watched all the soaps from Friday evening as we all went out for a meal in Ambleside, ten of us plus Luke. It was a belated birthday meal for grandson's wife and a sort of closure to the past two weeks. Luke made us laugh, besides leaving us gobsmacked at the amount of food he tucks away. He loves veggies and after he had finished his meal he had a piece of broccoli which he got very attached to. He wasn't eating it but talking to it, what was making us laugh was that he doesn't say broccoli but bobali, as this was gone 9.30 at night I was amazed at how good he was.

The account of the funeral etc is on two threads on general. The Welsh thread and the Just Jean thread by Mo in Kent.

The last morning we were at daughter's we were sure we could see two Red Kites overhead but it was so windy they were being swept along so we couldn't see clearly. Have to check if they are in that area.

Gosh Maryanna, I hope you all stay safe down there. The Levels were on Countryfile last night and they seemed confident that the work done would prevent the flooding this time. I hope they are right. :-)

It's filthy here too.Rain,Rain and more Rain :-S.My son is flying home from Iceland tonight.I hope it isn't going to be too bumpy a ride.
Our little Moorhen seems to be around all the time now,and spending a great deal of time under the Window feeder.I saw it earlier standing on a branch in the tree opposite the feeder.I think it was copying the other birds lol Maybe it thought it was a blackbird.
I ran to get the camera ,but it had gone :-|

Thank you Ann for sharing the Humanist Service. It seems to have been very special day for everyone. I hope that your daughter and family found some comfort knowing that Jon had arranged it all. Its good that you are now home safely with such bad weather around. I hope that your cough improves soon.

It is bitterly cold here in Yorkshire with gusty winds and snow forecast Wednesday!
Not many birds around today. Perhaps its too cold for them today.

I hadn't seen any birds at all today until just then when I looked out of the window and, on the tree in the garden of the bungalow that joins our garden at the bottom there is a small flock of about 5 goldfinches. They always used to feed in our garden until that lady moved in two years ago but for some reason they all defected to her feeder. :-( :-(

Ann I have had a look at the other thread .What a wonderful service .I really like the idea of a similar one for when it is my time.But I would not want a burial.I think if you can plan things yourself as Jon did it takes an awful lot of worry off the loved one left behind.I know my Sister says she has planned hers.
Ooh it is going to be a cold night...You might get snow down your way Ann...We may get some too.Possibly just on the edge of it.

Well my birds are as crazy as ever.There was a real battle going on earlier as to how many could reach the feeder first,and then the bullying Chaffinches were trying to take over and having a go at anything that came near. :-| :-|

We had a dusting of snow, nothing to speak og. In the Forest of Dean they had 2 cms and schools were shut. words fail me.

Still no birds here. I am not even going to attempt the bird watch as I just know it will be too frustrating.

Ann, thank you for sharing the funeral service with us. It sounded just right. I have been thinking of your daughter and family, and wishing them strength to cope with their grief.

After a couple of really wet days the weather has been glorious today, a bit windy and very, very cold but with bright blue skies and sunshine. Unfortunately the sunshine still hasn't tempted the birds to visit. The seeds are going down slowly though I think they are getting eaten very early before I am up as I haven't seen anything on the feeder. The suet cake, a freebie from Homebase, the peanuts and the Niger seeds are untouched.

I usually do the RSPB Birdwatch but I don't think I'll bother this year. There doesn't seem much point in standing by the window for an hour and then have nothing to report.